Worth the Wait
by samanddianefan10
Summary: Continuation of Mrs. George Deveraux. What would happen if Blanche's husband George was actually alive?


Blanche Deveraux couldn't help herself. She just needed to feel the warmth of her George against her skin. She'd held many, many men but none had compared to her own husband. For the first time in nine years, she believed she was truly happy. She'd found what she was looking for. Could this be happening to her? Could it be that George had come back to her? She had so many questions for him. But for right now she just wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could. He was hers again, and that was all she needed to know.

Finally the moment came when she had to let him go. Silently she vowed that she would never let him out of her room for as long as she lived. Blanche just couldn't take the chance of him disappearing from her life again. These past nine years had been the most awful years of her life. There were no words to explain the heartache she' d experienced when the call came that George had perished in a car accident. And she felt so angry with herself because her last thoughts of him were that she hated him for leaving his shoes in the middle of the living room. She would have given anything to be able to replace that thought with a more proper and loving one. One that a good wife would have thought. She'd lost a lot of sleep over those feelings of guilt. When George told her he forgave her for thinking that, she'd felt a lot of relief and happiness that she'd never thought she'd feel. George was nothing if not a loving man, and he was all hers again.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. Time had been good to him. He was more handsome than ever, if that was possible. His hair was grayer, and he'd grown a moustache, but his eyes were just as expressive and his smile was just as kind as they ever were. All she wanted to do was stay in his arms forever. She never thought she could love one man, but she loved George Deveraux. How she loved him, and how she grieved for him. She'd been doing a great deal of thinking and at times she didn't think she could forgive him for what he'd done to her. But Rose was right; how many women would give their right arms to be in her position. She herself had many sleepless nights wishing she could hold him one last time and now that dream had come true.

It was hard to believe that the man that Blanche loved had betrayed her so. Her mind simply could not process that bit of information. It would take her some time to get over it, but in her heart she knew that she would. He was the great love of her life and he was back. Her life as she knew it was about to change and for the better. She was once again a married woman. She could forget about all those nights of meaningless sex. The men that she thought she couldn't live without were now just a distant memory. She was a one-man woman now, and she would always be faithful to her husband. She would make up for lost time, and she hoped that he would do the same. She was a lucky, lucky woman.

"Darlin, a penny for your thoughts." George smiled at her as he sat across from her.

"I'm just thinking about what a gift we have. Things can be different this time. We have a second chance to make things right. There are so many things that I want to say to you. You don't know how much I've missed you. You are the great love of my life, you know."

"As you are mine. Blanche, I will find a way to make this up to you. I swear I never meant to hurt you. I hope that you can find a way in your heart to forgive me. Let's start over again. It can be better than before. I'll build my business up again and give you the kind of life you deserve. We can do this. I don't deserve you and I know it. I never did and I certainly don't now. But I will do my best to make you a happy woman."

Blanche took a deep breath. "You already have. When I saw you in that restaurant I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought that God was playing a cruel joke on me. Maybe it was your brother Jamie. But I knew it was you. I just knew. But I didn't know why I was given this second chance. I was so angry. And I still am. It's something I'm going to have to work through. It's going to take time. I was mad that you left me the first time and now that I know that you did it on purpose I feel even more devastated. I don't know that I can trust you. Every time you walk out the door I know that I will be wondering if it's the last time that I will see you. So don't make any promises George. Because I don't think that you can keep them."

And Blanche meant that. She may have given George her heart but it didn't mean that she would open herself to him completely.

"Darlin, I know that you will have a hard time believing a word I say. And when I get back, I will work on earning your trust again. I will do what ever it takes to get you to believe in me."

Blanche couldn't believe what she had just heard. "When you get back? And just where do you think you're going?"

"I have to go back to Atlanta to finish up some business. I wasn't sure that you would take me back. I promise I'll be back within a month. I'll…"

The fiery southerner stood up. "How dare you! You walk back into my life only to leave again! You tell me you've changed your ways but I don't believe you for a minute. You come in here asking me to be your wife again and then you tell me that you want to leave me. I don't believe you! You have some nerve waltzing in here like you've done nothing wrong. You destroyed my life and I'm not going to let you do it again. Get out of my life George Deveraux. Go on. I don't care to ever see you again."

George was stunned. He knew that this was a possibility but he thought that Blanche had accepted him. All he wanted was a chance to be her husband again but now she was throwing him out. If this was what she wanted then he had no choice but to respect her wishes. He was a broken man; there was no reason for him to go on. He didn't look at her as he turned around and walked out the door.

Once Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia saw that George had left, they knew that they needed to be with her. She was their friend; if one of them was in pain they all were.

"Are you alright? George just left without saying a word." Dorothy commented as she knocked on Blanche's open bedroom door.

"George who?"

"Sweetheart, you don't mean that. What happened?"

"I really don't care to discuss it."

Rose spoke up. "Whenever I have a problem I find that talking about it always helps."

"Good for you. But I don't have a problem."

"Now I know that something happened between you and George. I'm not going to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong." Dorothy started.

"That's a first."

Dorothy ignored her roommate. She was used to Blanche's sarcastic remarks, especially when she was hurting. "I think that whatever happened is tearing you up. It's been a long time since I've seen you in this much pain. I know that you still love him. You wouldn't have welcomed him back into your house if you didn't. I know you heard him out and you had the right to throw him out. He hurt you really badly. But you also loved him really deeply. He was the love of your life and that kind of love only comes around once in a lifetime. What did he do? What did he say?"

Blanche ran her fingers through her hair. "It's not what he said. It's what he's going to do. He said he was going to leave town to take care of business. He said he'd be back in a month but how in the world am I supposed to believe him?"

"You know what this calls for? There's a chocolate cheesecake in the refrigerator and I'll start a pot of coffee." Rose suggested.

Everyone nodded.

Soon they were they were sitting over their dessert, wondering what to say to Blanche.

"How do you know that he won't be back? I'm sure it takes a lot of work coming back from the dead." Rose finally spoke up.

"Because, you bubblehead, he left me once. How do I know he won't do it again? He obviously doesn't care about my feelings. And he was in Atlanta the whole time. Atlanta! He was so close and didn't even bother to come back to me. He let me waste all of these years of my life. George only came back because he has a guilty conscience. He only wants me because he thinks he can't have me. He doesn't love me. If he did he never would have done this to me in the first place."

"I can't speak for him but it sure seems like he loves you. He came back for you. He had his reasons for leaving and they had nothing to do with you," Dorothy said. "He made a mistake, a terrible, tragic mistake. I spoke to him and I heard what he had to say. He loves you. If you believe in your marriage maybe you should believe in him now. What you two share most people would kill for. I never experienced that with Stan. I would give anything to know that kind of love. Love requires faith. I know he made it impossible for you to give it to him but couldn't you try? What have you got to lose?"

Blanche sighed." I could lose my heart all over again."

The girls looked at each other, feeling bad at Blanche's honesty.

00000

The next day, Blanche was preparing to go out with Mel Bushman. He'd forgiven her for standing her up the night before. They'd had a history together, and he was the most understanding of her dates. She needed a pick-me up to help her forget the events of the past 24 hours. Losing George was hard enough, but forgetting him would be impossible.

She was putting on her earrings when the doorbell rang. Of course, no one answered it. She set her earring down and went to the living room. She was stunned to see her husband at the door.

"George, what are you doing here?"

"Sophia called. She said that you wanted to see me."

"Obviously she was mistaken." She started to shut the door on him when he placed his hand on it and opened it.

"Please, darlin'. Won't you hear me out?"

"George Deveraux I have nothing to say to you." She said, opening the door.

"Then let me speak. I'm sorry I told you that I had to leave. I was in such a hurry to see you that I didn't take care of my business. I should have had more faith in us and done that first. I can see that I've been wrong about many things and that was one of them. But I was not wrong about you. You were the best thing I've ever done in my life. I was hoping with all of my heart that I could pick up where we left off. I should have known that you would have difficulties trusting in me. I know that I hurt you and nothing I can say or do can make up for it. I love you, and thoughts of you have sustained me throughout the worst years of my life. We belong together. Now if you can look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me anymore I will walk out this door and you will never see me again. But if not I promise you that I will never leave your side. You can come with me, and we can be together. I will do anything it takes to prove to you that my love is for real." George said passionately.

Blanche was torn. Dare she open her heart to this man who had torn it all apart? She did what she always did when she had a problem that seemed insurmountable- she ran into those strong arms of his.

"Oh George. Don't you ever leave me again. Of course I'll go with you. I need you by my side. I've known from day one that you're the only man for me. I can[t take the chance of losing you again, but that's not why I'm with you. You're the most charming, intelligent, witty, handsome man I've ever known. You complete me. You've brought so much joy into my life. The happiest days of my life I've spent with you. And I intend to hold you for the rest of my days. Don't you ever leave me again."

And for the first time in nine years, they shared their first kiss. It was worth the wait.


End file.
